Bickback
Bickback was the creation of Bridabrack the Literal. He was too thin for his age and his body was covered by purple and green skin splotches. His retarted brother was Lytle. His peers ocked him about them, and poor Bickback was made to sit in the back of the large crowd of Bertbert's descendants, along with other pitiful beings suffering from maladies. He pretended to enjoy his posistion. Hiface, a distant cousin (whose abnormality was a tiny head growing from his palm), politely offered to stand behind Bickback so that Bickback wouldn't seem to be the last one. Bickback however chose to mimick the cruelty of the others. He sang a song about a thing with a thing hiding in its palm. This made everyone laughing at Hiface for a while, and praising Bickback for his verse. Bittered, Hiface confronted Bickback who replied by repeating his song, making Hiface running home crying. Despite Bickback's display of wit and entertaining verse, he was still not allowed to go to the front. So one morning he coated himself with dust to hide his splotches and seeming beautiful, his pers quickly escorted him to the front of the crowd. There he was commanded to write more songs of cruelty and prejudice about the beings in the back of the crowd. However he did not feel well writing about Lytle, and when he was asked to do so, he looked across the crowd at Lytle, staring at the ground drooling and looking very stupid. He approached him. Lytle recognized his brother and hugged him hard saying "Ly'le like Bicks!" The crowd laughed at Lytle's audacity to touch someone from the front row. Embarrassed, Bickback threw his brother to the ground, who cried. His drool washed away some of Bickback's dust revealing the splotches. He also started weepinng and Lytle crawled over to him and held him. Then he wiped his eyes before the awkward crowd and announced a new song for the back of the crowd, the most beautiful they've heard: In this life I have found one thing. It is pity incarnate of which I sing. You have been told about the back of the crowd. And I repeat it plenty loud. That they are animals to be excused - As hapless freaks which we shall use - As ladder rungs for our speedy ascent - To the front of the crowd where we'll invent A strict system of attractive and not On which side of the net will you be caught. Align me please with the crowd's back The front can for what I care go to hack With their own standards based on their small group If given the choice 'tween accepting many or few I will love the different and accept the whole crowd I will sing of my world long and loud In my world I say that we the low be tall And so Brother Lytle is greatest of all. The entire crowd fell silent as Bickback held his brother whispering his apology, although Lytle did not react. Some members embraced each other. Others did not, instead dedicating their time to re-establish the lines between the front and back of the crowd. Bickback lived a happy life, wed Phyllis, a demure little lady from the back of the crowd, and begat Mak Mok which means "low is high". category:Bertbert